Premier League Fantasy – Select XI (GW-1)

The wait is finally over and the new fantasy premier league season kicks off tomorrow at 3pm! Don’t forget that the actual deadline is 11.30am on Saturday morning, so be prepared to wake up early if you have any last minute decisions to make. A lot of teams have been busy in the transfer market and there are lots of new faces to look out for this season. This will definitely spice things up but the most exciting signing of the whole summer took place today with RVP signing a four-year deal to join rivals United. This now means that the two highest points scorers from last season will be forming United’s new look strikeforce.

If you’re new to Fantasy Football Addict, this is our weekly segment where we choose 11 players in a valid formation to enter our Premier League Fantasy Select XI for the upcoming gameweek. So without further ado, here is our selection for the very first gameweek of the season:

Goalkeeper

Wojciech SZCZESNY [SUN(H), 5.5m] – Szczesny has really grown into his role between the sticks and has gone a long way in solving Arsenal’s recent goalkeeping problems. He is still young but shows maturity in goal and will be looking to start the season with a clean sheet when Sunderland visit in Gameweek 1. There are currently doubts over whether Sessegnon will start and this will boost Szczesny’s potential for fantasy points.

Defenders

Ashley COLE [WIG(A), RDG(H), 6.5m] – Unusually, Chelsea start the first gameweek with a double due to their UEFA Super Cup duties (they do have a blank in GW3). As they take on two teams which could be battling for survival come the end of the season, there is definitely a chance for Cole to pick up at least one clean sheet and he should be guaranteed of starting both games.

Pablo ZABALETA [SOT(H), 6.0m] – With Richards out with an injury, Zabaleta should lineup in City’s defence this Sunday, regardless of whether Mancini goes with 3 or 4 at the back. To kick things off, they host Premier League newcomers Southampton, who couldn’t have asked for a tougher start. City will definitely make things difficult for them and a clean sheet looks likely.

FABIO da Silva [SWA(H), 4.5m] – QPR have been busy bringing in new faces over the summer including Fabio who is on loan from United. Often overshadowed by his brother’s achivements on the opposite flank, Fabio will be looking to prove himself and gain some much needed game time whilst on loan. QPR had some brilliant home form towards the end of the 2012-13 campaign and they will be looking take this into the new premier league fantasy season.

Midfielders

Samir NASRI [SOT(H), 8.5m] – With there being uncertainty over Silva’s game time in City’s first game of the season, Nasri seems a safer bet at the moment, especially as he scored last Sunday with a neat finish. With United playing on Monday night, City have the opportunity to lay down a marker for the season in the game against Southampton, and Nasri is sure to feature in much of their attacking play.

Adel TAARABT [SWA(H), 6.0m] – Taarabt struggled at times last season to live up to his high expectations but he has started pre-season well and has already stated in the media how much he enjoys playing against Swansea. With this in mind, he should be full of confidence going into this match and will be looking to make up for last season.

Juan MATA [WIG(A), RDG(H), 9.5m] – Mata had an excellent debut season and will be keen to make up for a disappointing summer by getting back into some league action. With Chelsea making several additions to their midfield over the summer, Mata will be keen to make a strong start to cement his place in the first team, and against Wigan and Reading, he will have two great opportunities to get some fantasy premier league points on the board.

Santi CAZORLA [SUN(H), 9.0m] – New signing Cazorla will go into this game in high spirits after scoring for Spain on Wednesday and with Van Persie having left for Manchester, Wenger will be looking for his summer signings to step up to the plate. Cazorla is a player who can excite the Arsenal fans and may just be able to distract them from the loss of their talisman when they kick off their season against Sunderland.

Strikers

Carlos TEVEZ [SOT(H), 9.0m] – Back from the wildnerness and in better shape than ever, Tevez is showing that he means business this time round. In the Community Shield, he scored a belter of a goal and is clearly confident going into the game against Southampton. With his Argentinian compatriot alongside him, the Saints defence will have their work cut out on Sunday afternoon.

Fernando TORRES(C)[WIG(A), RDG(H), 10.0m] – Another player to get on the scoresheet last Sunday was Fernando Torres and he will be delighted to have scored so early on in the season. With Drogba plying his trade in China now, all of the onus is on Torres and with greater service behind him, it could be a season where he finally returns to his best.

Mladen PETRIC [NOR(H), 6.0m] – Petric has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in pre-season and will be hoping to carry this threat into the start of the league. Not too much can be read into this given the level of opposition but the goals would have calmed his nerves and given him some confidence. With Fulham playing host to Norwich in their first game of the season, Petric will have an ideal opportunity to hit the ground running.

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